Christmas Secrets
by AlbinoF0x
Summary: Harry meets with an old enemy turned freind on his deathbed. A short Christmas drabble. oneshot. depressing, but touching at the same time. MAJOR OOC to the point of insanity. Char Death. sry derps.


it is a touching story in my opinion. I slaughtered voldy's evilness though. Sry for all you evil voldy/harry fans. But I figured I may as well put this out there. this was a quicky, keep that in mind.

I hate you JK rowling. you werent supposed to copywrite harry potter in your name. now i cant publish meh stories.

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Christmas Secrets  
Twenty years... It had been twenty years since the death of Harry Potter in his defeat of the Dark Lord, and the failure to find their bodies. Ginny shook her head and smiled sadly as the cold winter breeze blew freshly falling snowflakes around her like lace in the sky. Stepping through the old, withered, icicled gates of Godrics Hollow she entered the central courtyard and milieu of the small village. It was Christmas Eve and after so long of avoiding this moment, she had decided to find closure; And what better time than the Yule?  
In the middle of the small cemetery was a familiar statue. When she'd first been there when she was very little, it was of Lily and James Potter holding their baby child. Now two figures had been added, and the pose had changed. Now all three loyal Marauders and Lily stood together in an embrace around Harry who looked happier than she'd ever seen him in life.  
It wasnt until she'd reached the memorial where her deceased fiancé had been honored, that she noticed something hidden in the fist of Harry's stone hand. Being a Investigative Journalist, her curiosity peaked and, looking around to see if anyone was watching, tapped her wand to the stone hand, forcing it to open. She gasped.  
There, in the now outstretched palm, was Slytherins broken locket. Just as she reached to touch it, she heard a small rustling in the bushes and quickly aparated away and appeared behind the nearest house. Cautiously she peeked around the corner she noticed a black shimmer slithering uppon the ground.  
'What on earth?' She watched in amazement as the snake began to shift form and grow until standing before the statue was a tall, cloaked man. She watched as his head turned to look around, in very much the same manner she did. When his face turned in her direction, Ginny noticed everything above and below his eyes were covered in a black shroud. But his eyes...by merlin! his eyes were mismatched, ruby red and emerald green.  
The figure seemed content with his surroundings and looked at the statue. Immediately she felt the same curse in her mind that he mitted from his mouth. She'd left the hand open! Ugh! She was so stupid. The man looked about frantically and hastily grabbed the locket, disappearing on sight. Ginny was left alone to wonder who the stranger had been, and what to title the sure-to-be headline article she would be writing tonight.

Grim was stoic as he fell through the air and gained control of his legs, took several steps in mid air, landing gently onto the ground. Gazing at the large house before him, a smile crept its way to his covered lips. He quickly stepped through the door and into the warmth of a blazing fieplace in the main living room where two plush chairs and a coffee table cast dancing shadows on the floor.  
"Harry...? Issss that you?" croaked a severely aged voice from the right hand chair. Grim fought back tears at the horrible, ugly, gorgeous sound of that voice rang in his ears for the first time in months. He silently stepped closer and removed his cloak and shroud, revealing the near forty year old face of Harry James Potter.  
"Yesss. I'm here Tom." There was a soft cough that was probably meant as a chuckle and a frail withered hand outstretched to beckon him closer. "Pleassse. let me sssee you." Grim obliged and knelt down, taking the aged hand in his placing it on his face. "Ahhh...Harry. You haven't changed a bit." Blank eyes watched nothing as the glow of the fire reflected the milky, mismatched color. "Come and sssit. You musst tell me of your travelssss." Grim stood and plopped tiredly into the opposite chair, conjuring a cup of hot cocoa for himself and his host.  
"Ssso tell me. What have you been doing asss of late my boy?" Grim almost chuckled at how similar the once powerful Dark Lord was to Dumbledore now. It was so cruelly ironic.  
"Nothing really. But timessss have been rather harsh to me thisss year."  
"How ssso?" The blind Slytherin took a small sip of his drink. "From what I hear sssicurity hasss become quite laxssss." Grim thumped his hand on the armrest to indicate himself shaking his head.  
"Rather the opposssite, Tom. Within passst monthsss the aurorsss have arressted anyone who will not show thier face on command." He growled. "They ssusspect a new Lord risssing, and gaining followersss." Tom shook his head and sighed sadly.  
"Ssso naive it all isss; Naive and foolishhh. Who is the sssupossed new lord?"  
"From what I can pick up it seemsss to be my dear old friend..." Tom turned to face his guest in habit, and sighed again.  
"He was ssssuch a good boy. The bessst of sssortsss. I do hope it'sss not him." Grim thumped once as he nodded.  
"But he alwaysss wass a jealousss ssort. I wonder if hisss ssisster knows?"  
"Ginny?" Grim thumped once. The former lord nodded and turned back to the fireplace. "A pity...Ronnald could have done ssso much better than thisss." he groaned as he tried to gain a more comfortable position in his chair.  
"Here..." Grim stood up, lifted the old man to a more erect position and triggered the recliner, gently letting his elderly friend relax. "Better?"  
"Much...Thank you lad." Grim once more suppressed a laugh. "You never will get usssed to my civility will you?"  
"Never." Tom gave an attempt at a hearty laugh.  
"Remorssse doessss wondersss, I guesss."  
"Indeed." Grim watched as the old snake smiled contently and took another sip of the now lukewarm chocolate drink.  
"You sssure know how to treat a crippled, old codger Harry. I do ssso misss the company. Not to mention your sssuperb cooking." His voice hinted sadness through the upbeat tone, unfortunately unmissed by his younger companion. Grim placed a hand on the mans shoulder and felt a withered hand hold it there, weakly.  
"Whatsss wrong tom?" he asked. Toms face only fell as his blank eyes stared ahead, silent as stone. "Tom...pleassse tell me." He spotted the small trickle of water squeeze from the corner of the mans eye.  
"It'sss nothing harry. Jussst, fatigue...I guesss. I'm not asss young asss I usssed to be."  
"On the contrary, for a man with half a soul and nearly one hundred and four years on your belt you're actually quite spry." Tom choked back a small sob and replaced it with a snort of laughter.  
"You flatter me, son. I dont know why you bother with me after what I've done to you." His speech had switched to English, and for the first time in twenty years, Grim truly worried about his friends health. "No need to worry Harry. It becomes tiring to speak in the tongue all the time." His voice trailed off softly, his breathing slowing a bit.  
"Tom." Grim insisted and knelt in front of the old man, taking his hand. "Please be honest with me. Is something wrong?" Tom was silent for several moments as if thinking of what to say. Finally, with a sigh of defeat he answered.  
"There was a reason I wanted you to come tonight Harry, instead of tomorrow on Christmas like usual." Grim looked up at the glassy, tearing eyes that adorned Voldemorts face and realized. "I'm so very frightened Harry. My whole life I fought the coming of this...and never really stopped to think of the consequences." He tried to keep his own breathing steady, something that was steadily becoming more difficult. "And now...What happens harry? What is it like?" He knew of Harry's brief encounter with death and had always wondered. Grim lowered his head, trying to recall.  
"You can either go on...or come back." he said softly. "Thats all I really remember."  
"Come back?" The snake inquired.  
"As a ghost...I suppose. But I've been told my many that it's a miserable existence." Tom nodded.  
"As much as I am terrified of moving on, the thought of a false life...I dont think I would choose that either." He shivered as the fire's heat began to ebb, though it burned just as brightly.  
"What?" Grim asked. Voldemort shivered again and, concerned, Grim checked his slowly fading pulse. He panicked. "No! Not now! Tom!"  
"Harry please calm down. Your powers as an Empath will kill me faster." Grim nodded and forced his emotions down, removing himself from Tom's mind that he had unconsciously entered. He trembled, unsure of what to do, as tears streamed down his face freely. He was realy dying.  
"Shhh..." Tom patted his head and smiled. "You overgrown brat. Show some of that Gryffindor courage. Or has that left you as well?"  
"Tom...please! You can't! You mustn't die yet!" Tom only shook his head.  
"Cease your moaning, boy." he said as firmly as he could. "I'm just as if not more frightened than you...restrain yourself...for me." He softened again. "I dont want you crying on my account. Le Fey knows I've done you enough pain." Grim sniffed and wiped his tears away, but he couldn't stop his shaking.  
"I'm sorry..."  
"Dont be." Voldemort let a smile crease his wrinkled face. "It's my time. You will have yours as well, as does everyone. It took me a good sixty years to learn that."  
"Isn't there some way I could-"  
"No harry. Fate refuses to allow such things. As I said only seconds ago, it took me most of my life to find this out. I have learned to accept it." He sighed and sunk into his chair. listen...I have only enough strength to last until morning." He took Grims hand in his. "I wish to give you your gift then."  
"You didn't have to get me any-"  
"No, no. It's nothing like that." Tom laughed weakly. "Just trust me, Harry." He sank into the chair again and closed his eyes. "Will you read me the story once more?"  
"I could probably tell it word for word, Tom." They both chuckled.  
"Then please do." Grim nodded and began to recite the "Tale of the Three Brothers". He took his time, knowing thats how Tom liked it when he put feeling into the story. He watched as Tom smiled and nodded throughout it, once or twice correcting him when he misplaced a sentence or used a word not written. He knew the story that well.  
But it was finally time. And just as Grim muttered the ending he felt all feeling slip away.  
Grim looked up at the absence of breathing and held back a cry of anguish. There was his friend of old, enemy of past, life finally gone from him. But he couldn't restrain his tears and let them cascade from his eyes.  
"...Tom." He clasped his hands into the lifeless ones and pressed them to his face kissing the palms, when he felt a pair of strong arms embracing him.  
*Please Harry...please dont cry.* Harry turned around to see Tom, no longer blind and decrepit, but young, healthy and handsome once more.  
"T-tom?" he stuttered. "B-but you-"  
*Im not a ghost Harry...I just wanted to give you a Christmas present for once in my-* He was cut off by a tackling hug. *Harry...* Grim only held tighter knowing for sure if he didn't let go Tom would stay. *Harry please let go or you will be pulled with me.* Tom took Grim's arms and removed them, who looked at him curiously.  
"What do you mean?"  
*I can't explain until your time harry. But i wanted you to have this.* Tom placed his hand into his body's pocket and pulled out a small pendant placing it in the boys palm. Grim looked at it and smiled. A photo of them...the day after they had...for the first time...gods it was so painful to remember now... *I thought it would be appropriate.* Grim locked eyes with Tom, tears starting to flow again. *I have to go now.*  
"What?" Grim half shrieked. "You mean your not staying?"  
*I cant Harry, the train leaves in only moments. I have to go.* He began to fade as Grim reached for him, his hand passing through.  
*Bie Harry.*His face was agonized as he spoke and completely dispersed. Harry stared at the empty space and shook. "T-tom..." He turned to the body in the chair and watched, half expecting him to start moving. "Dammit come back...please!" He whimpered childishly as his body tremmored uncontrollably with his now loud sobs. "...Fuck your all I have left! COME BACK!" he screamed as he clutched his hair. He slumped to the ground his forehead touching the carpeted floor begging for him to appear again, to say something. But he never did.  
Tom Marvolo Riddle was gone...forever.

~Finite Incantatem~

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just for those who didnt get it Grim is harry under a diff name. yeah i know to some its obvious but to others it aint.

i cried so friggin hard as i wrote that last paragraph in december. lulz well there ya go. :3 happy early Xmas


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